Positioning Oneself While Researching Yugoslavia: The Context of Self-Reflection and Introspection

Through the lens of the representation of antifascist cultural heritage in former Yugoslavia, this interdisciplinary research project explores interpretations of antifascist cultural heritage sites as well as philosophical dilemmas, methodological challenges and the role of researchers’ introspection and self-reflection before, during and after the fieldwork. The chapter reflects on the changes in representations of antifascist cultural heritage sites in relation to the rising populism, both in the local and in the global socio-cultural space. To situate the fieldwork, the chapter presents theoretical grounding and the Yugoslav research context. Further, it presents the research findings situated through drawing on the notions of the context of Othering and the intersection of political activism and consumerism, as well as on Mark Fisher’s concept of nostalgia for the future. Finally, the chapter explores the role of the researchers in the representation, articulation and dissemination of the research findings. Through self-reflection and introspection, researchers may be able to thicken the description and add another layer of depth, enabling the understanding of the post-Yugoslav space in a more grounded and holistic way. Thus, the chapter calls for more transparency, reflection and introspection while doing research.